Gardening: Hints and Help!
Gardening is probably my favourite hobby, and at this time of year, I love to have a good look around my own garden and decide what needs doing, does everything thrive where it is planted, and do I have space for anything else to change the look of the garden
a little bit!
With this is mind, I wondered if like minded enthusiasts are interested in sharing good ideas, suggesting help or remedies for problems and just generally "chatting gardens and gardening"?
As an opening suggestion, there may be a few out there that share my love of a tiny but utterly lovely little flower, Convallaria Majaris, beloved of Spring Brides and flower arrangers, better known as deliciously scented "Lily of the Valley". Usually gorgeous
in white, but you can actually find it, with a bit of searching, in shades of pale to quite bright pink! It is called CM var "Rosea", and smells just as lovely.
Anyone else got ideas to share?
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I will bump this up, as one or two are sharing gardening ideas on General Chat, and it sounds like lots of us will be getting stuck in while stuck at home these next few weeks!
PS, my pink lily of the valley is just coming up!😁
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Apart from my raised bed project, there’s not that much happening elsewhere in the garden. There are though signs of life, not least the Clematis Armandii ‘Enham Star’ with its clusters of creamy-white flowers with a heady scent. There’s a dwarf Cherry just coming into flower and the climbing roses are starting to shoot. Last year we planted a Viburnum Plicatum ‘Kilimanjaro’, can’t wait to see that in all it’s glory, a fabulous plant that holds its flowers for a good while. As the season progresses, I’ll try to add pics.
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With things as they are the wifes' allotment this year instead of coming second to our trips away, it will be well tended and hopefully if the weather allows, bountiful too.
Already got the first earlies in and the main crop onions were planted yesterday.
Have to end now as she is biting at the bit to go up again. Ofcourse remembering the advice on socializing.
Be safe
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I think gardening is going to be a huge solace for a lot of people.😁 Our garden hasn’t looked as good this early in year for ages. I have a project list each year, and seldom get through it all, but this year, it’s massively on track. Not least because OH is helping as well, and because we aren’t away touring, I don’t mind spending to get someone else in to tackle some really big tasks. We managed to get two big beech trees cut back before this scare, so benefitted from a huge pile of chippings for garden, and a decent amount of stove wood to dry for next Winter.
Today will be putting in a small water butt, reassembling an outdoor water tap area, painting a door, and then it’s onto some burning later this evening of dried out clippings.
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I'm hanging back from sowing all our seeds, I like it to warm up a bit and can leave trays on the floor of the greenhouse. I usually share the surplus or give some to a local plant sale, so I think we'll be doing some swapping with neighbours etc. this year.
Last year we were given some Callette plants from a local a friend. I thought they were a weird idea, a bit like Brussel sprouts but opening up into tiny cabbages along the stalk. Anyway we grew them and when they finally got going in late winter they were good and very easy to pick. Worth a try, even in a small space as they're slim and grow upwards rather than out.
If I hadn't got the space we have I'd be attempting to grow some veg or herbs in pots or whatever. Even if it doesn't feed the nation it would give me something to look at.
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My Mum and Sister grow lots of stuff in big pots and bags brue, potatoes, beans, tomatoes of course. It’s easier than turning over a veg bed for them, although my Sis has dedicated a small patch to carrots. Purely for the dog, he adores them!😁
Like you, there’s a lot of plant swopping, seed swopping going on here! I found a great little packet of mixed seeds in Aldi last week, tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, radicchio, salad leaves, all for just 99p. I am going to sort out a sunflower growing competition across our family, who can grow the tallest?😂
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So, what veg have you got lined up?
I little trick I learned a while back. For Parsnips I sow into toilet roll cores almost filled with compost, 3 to a core, then topped with compost. They’ll stay in the greenhouse (unheated) and usually germinate in 14 days. It’s important then to get them planted out as soon as possible, as the tap root reaches the bottom in just a couple of days. It’s then just a case of removing the weaker seedlings, after a couple of weeks. As all this wasn’t expected (growing veg) I haven’t been saving the cores, so I’m having to scrounge them 🙂
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It will be carrot, cabbage , cauliflower, parsnips, onion,pea bread bean and runner bean , oh and some courgette and squashes , plus the usual tomato , cucumber and sweet pepper , and salad stuff , red currant and strawberry.
i hope to put in a pear tree and espalier it along the fence ,I’m reading up on that bit !
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For me it will be potatoes, carrots, sprouts, cabbage, onions, broad beans, French beans, runner beans, beetroot, leeks, spring onions and lettuce. I’ll be growing tomatoes in the greenhouse (Sungold) and outdoors (in troughs) it’ll be ‘Tumbling Tom’. It would be nice to try some shallots as they’re ready for harvest quite early, but I think I’ll be struggling for space.
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I decided yesterday ,that i had enough old tannalised wood to make a raised veg bed, as we are in isolation,so have spent today clearing the ground ,and building the frame work, it looks great ,just have one problem now ,the PMs speech to the nation, was going to get soil and fertilizer from B&Q which is next door to Aldi for some food
All brought on by the denias amongst us
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I decided, oh OK, my wife decided that wha5cwas needed was some mowing, strimming and pampas reducing.
The car is now surrounded by bags of garden waste which I will take to the dump, then collect some DIY products.............well till Borris spoke earlier I would!
Now have visions of Great Escape style sneaking out of stuff when going shopping.
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Another good day for me. OH set up another water butt, and I got a lot of pond plants split and repotted. Been a beautiful day here, real t shirt weather until late afternoon. We have set up our garden swing as well, some nice days forecast, make the most of them.
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I wonder with tonight's announcement if the garden centres will be allowed to stay open, would be a shame for all the growers if they were forced to close. you guys
I'm going to be growing some veg this year haven't done any for years as we are always away. Already collecting the middle of toilet rolls to set the seed in.
Her in Scotland we are probably 2 - 3 weeks behind you guys. Still getting frost overnight and the hills still have snow on them which makes the wind very cold if coming from the north. Greenhouse seems to be fine though.
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Many will do deliveries and there are a lot of on line companies. I've had notices from some to expect delays. Good luck with all your orders everyone, our fence caps arrived yesterday, fencing due soon!
Edit look on your local garden centre websites for updates
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I see on the B&Q website:
We have learnt that the DIY and Hardware store sector has been categorised as an essential retailer by the government.
We are now working out the safest and simplest way to support communities in providing only essential products moving forwards
I'm sure what essential products are will be relealved later and what garden products will be in?
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Lots of folks cam maintain their own homes, sort out a leaking pipe, mend a tap, so good news they stay open.
If only we HAD a local B&Q☹️
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I don't think the gov. wants the country to totally fall apart, sit in houses with leaking plumbing and gardens wasted. It's a bit of a dig for Britain thing going now. Nice to have this thread.
Thinking about some salad veg this morning...we did once take a tray of pick again salad leaves away in our van, very easy to grow in a pot or tray. 🌿🌿🌿
pick again....can't think of the right word...someone will know what I mean?!
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Pond day for me, although blasted frogs seem to have been having a major lurve in and it’s full of frogspawn. OH is doing cleaning, it’s a very fair trade as far as I am concerned😁
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All plants now cleared from the future veg patch. Tomorrow I need to lift some slabs (small seating area) and dig out the substrate underneath. Once that’s done, there’s nothing to be done until the timber turns up, hopefully Tuesday. In readiness, sowed some lettuce and cabbage 🙂
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Don’t forget the slug repellent👍
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